Foundry equipment



Oct. 10, 1933.

F. T. SPIKERMAN ET AL FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT Filed Oct. 14 1929 LU j] 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT0R4S A TTORNEYS Patented 0... 10, 1933 UNITEDSTATES FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT Frank T. Spikerman, Akron, and Earl F. Oyster,

Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to The, Osborn Manufacturing Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 14, 1929.Serial No. 399,471

2 Claims.

The present invention relates, as indicated, to foundry equipment, andhas more particular reference to a machine designed to facilitate thehandling of molds and castings from the time the same are poured untilthe handling thereof is completed. Further objects of the invention willf appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of theforegoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the meanshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in' detailcertain mechanism .embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig.1 is a plan view of equipment constructed in accordance with ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially upon theline 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion ofthe device; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation on a larger scale of thesame portion of the device taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3;and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of a modified form of plate which may beused in our invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,-

it will be seen that I have provided a continuous conveyor indicatedgenerally at 10 and comprising a plurality of articulated plates 11moving upon a trackway 12, suitable means (not shown) being provided fordriving the conveyor. In the form here shown unflanged wheels 12 support.the plates 11, and a guide roller 12 supported from the plate 11 by abracket 12 runs between one of the rails and a guiding angle iron 12This is a matter of detail, and other means could be used for guidingthe plates 11 upon the trackway 12. A plurality of molding stations 13are located outside the trackway adjacent one end thereof, and a.similar number of molding stations 14 are located inside the trackwayimmediately opposite the first series of molding stations. Molders workat each of these two series of stations, and the operators 'at thestations 13 deposit the finished molds upon the outer edges of theplates 11, while the molders at the stations 50 14 deposit theircompleted molds upon the inne edges of said plates.

As the conveyor moves, it brings the molds to a series of pouringstations (not shown) then into a cooling phase, then finally to ashake-out station indicated generally at 15.

Attention may here be called to the fact that each of the plates 11comprises two spaced sections 16 and 17 secured to each other'bytransverse tie members 18. Each of said plates 16 and 17 carries spacerblocks 19 upon which the cover boards 20 of the molds are mounted. Whenthe molds reach the shake-out stage, an operator standing outside thetrackway can simply lift the outer edge of each cover board 20 assuchboard reaches him, thus tilting the board and its carried mold and.casting to an angle of 45 or 50, when the mold and casting will slideofi said board 20, through the space between the sections 16 and 17 ofthe conveyor plate and onto a continuous conveyor 21 mounted below thetrackway 12. Similarly, an operator stationed inside the trackway 12 cantilt the boards 20 on the plate sections 1'7 to permit the mold andcastings carried thereon to fall onto the conveyor 21. As is clearlyshown in Fig. 2, aprons 22 are provided to guard against the possibilityof sand falling off the conveyor 21.

The conveyor 21 comprises a plurality of trays 23 mounted upon axles 24carrying at their outer ends wheels 25 which run upon a trackway 26.Said conveyor 21 carries the sand and castings to the forward end ofsaid conveyor where the sand and castings are dumped onto a vibratingtilted screen 27. As is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the materialcarried by the conveyor 21 falls onto said screen 27, and by reason ofthe V vibration of said screen, the sand will fall through said screenand through a hopper 28 onto a continuous conveyor 29. Said conveyor 29carries the sandto a second conveyor 30 which, in turn, carries the sandto sand treating mechanism indicated generally at 31. Sand dischargedfrom said treating mechanism is picked up by an elevator 32 and carriedto a storage and feed hopper 33 whence it may be drawn to supply themolders.

The castings which are discharged onto the screen 27 move, due to theinclination of said screen and to the vibrationthereof, toward the end34 of said screen whence they fall onto a 10 conveyor 35 which carriessaid castings to a suitable point where they may be sorted for furtheroperations.

As has been indicated in Fig. 5, we may substitute for the plates 11plates 37, such plates comprising sections 38 and 39 spaced from eachother transversely of the length of the plate,and secured together by aplurality of rods or bars 40, such bars forming a grating. If plates 37are used in our organization, it will be seen that,

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when the cover boards are tilted, the sand and castings will fall uponthe bars 40. Said bars are spaced apart a sufficient distance so thateven comparatively large lumps of sand will fall between them while thecastings are retained upon the grating and may be carried upon theconveyor 10 to an operating station where they may be removed by anysuitable means.

lit will be seen from the foregoing that we have invented a moldingapparatus which enables castings to be made by pouring two lines ofmolds which are transversely separated so that when the molds reach theshakeout station operators at that station push them inward and let themdrop through the opening. Thereby the casting and sand are gottencompletely away from the conveyor. Except for the push, gravity does allthe work. The molds do not have to be lifted. By having the space in themiddle the operators can worlr on each side of the conveyor and onemiddle space, with one conveyor at the bottom oi that space, can takecare of all the molds dropped off both lines of conveyors.

In the modified form the molds are inverted on a grating connecting theconveyor sections so that thecasting remains on the grating while thesand falls down through the conveyor. Here the economy of space andadvantageous disposition of the working force is the same, but

the castings must later be removed from the grating.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention:

1. A foundry conveyor system comprising an upper conveyor train, saidtrain composed of a series of articulated plates each consisting of twoside platforms and an intermediate connecting grid therebetween, asecond conveyor below said grids, trackways for said conveyors, andguide plates within the upper trackway for guiding material to the lowerconveyor.

2. A foundry conveyor system comprising an upper conveyor train, saidtrain composed of a series of articulated plates each consisting of twoside platforms and an intermediate connection therebetween, a secondconveyor below said series of plates, trackways for said conveyors, andguide plates within the upper trackway for guiding material to the lowerconveyor.

FRANK T. SPIKERMAN. EARL F. OYSTER.

